Tassel



E. E. WELLER 2,107,459

TASSEL Filed March 22, 1934 I INVENTOR. [ivresi-E h er ATTORNEYS.

Patented Feb. 8, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TASSEL Ernest E. Weller, Providence, R. I.

Application March 22, 1934, Serial No. 716,802

21 Claims.

This invention relates to a tassel, and has for one of its objections the provision of a tassel which may be made inexpensively and yet securely held in assembled position.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a tassel which is formed of the minimum number of parts with these parts held in secured position by frictional engagement, or portions of one being deflected over portions of the other.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a tassel which may be formed in varying shapes by reason of the arrangement of the tufted material and manner of securing it in position.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a tufted material which may be assembled in a simpler and less expensive manner,

7 than other means known to me. With these and other objects in view, the in- V vention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will be more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing: 2 Fig. .1 is a perspective View of my tassel as mounted upon a cord or lacing;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view through the tassel; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the material to be used for the tuft blanked out from sheet 30 stock;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing this material as shaped to provide a tuft of strands;

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of the securing member; 5 Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a tassel having a modified form of cap and securing member;

Fig. 7 is a sectional View thereof; Fig. 8 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 7, but showing the securing member as in inverted posi- 40 tion;

Fig. 9.is a perspective view of a modified form of tassel blank; I

Fig; 10 is a side elevation of the blank shown in Fig. .9 as formed into the tassel; 45 Fig. 11 is a section on line l0-l0 of Fig. 10.; Fig. 12 is a perspective view of tufted material blank, such as shown in Fig. .3 assembled with a flat disk and securing member;

Fig. 13 is a side elevation showing the struc- 50 ture as illustrated in Fig. 12 as bent up into cup shape to dispose the radiating strands or stringers in close relation forming a tuft of strands or stringers for the tassel.

Tassels of this general formation have been 55 made as illustrated in connection with Patent No. 1,896,060, dated January 31, 1933, of which I am a part owner and in order that a less expensive tassel may be produced of a cheaper quality and with a reduced number of strands or stringers in the tuft of the tassel and assembled by a simpler operation, I have provided a blank having radiating strands cut out in somewhat star-shaped with an opening in its center, and then placed a rivet or securing member with a flange upwardly through this opening in the 10 blank and forced it into the opening in the neck or the like of the cap to secure it in place by friction, or if a firmer union is desired by riveting the same over, and at the same time bend down the stringers to form a tuft, and by 15 the use of this arrangement of parts, I may provide tassels in varying shapes which may be quickly assembled; and the following is a more detailed description of the present embodiment of this invention, illustrating the preferred means by which these advantageous results may be accomplished:

With reference to the drawing, I show a cap consisting of an inverted cup I 0 of generally bell-shape with a flaring edge II and a central opening from which a neck l3 extends. The tufted material is blanked out in somewhat of a star shape, as illustrated in Fig. 3, providing a central area I4 in which there is a seamless opening 15 and extending outwardly radially. With reference to this opening there are a plurality of strands or stringers l6 which when bent downwardly, as illustrated in Fig. 4, provide a tuft of generally tassel formation. The securing member I1 is tubular in form having an opening I8 and a flange l9.

To secure these three parts together to form the completed tassel, I pass the securing member I! up through the opening I 5 with the tufted material and force it into the opening through the neck I3 of the cap ID, the size of the rivet I! being such, with reference to the neck, that it is tightly bound therein by friction, while the flange I! at the same time securely binds the sheet stock about the opening l5 between it and the inner surface of the cap to hold it in position, and by this star-shaped formation being drawn into the cup the strands or stringers are disposed downwardly, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4, to form a closure or hollow portion with the strands in close relation. By this arrangement, the tube or securing member I! provides a guide, and an opening through which a lacing or cord 20 may be passed and knotted as at 2| in the hollow space, to secure it in position. I have shown more particularly a shoe lacing, as this tassel is adapted particularly for that use.

In Fig. 6, the modified cap has an opening 22 therein with no neck, and in this case the securing member I! is rolled. over as at 23, to securely bind it to the cap. In Fig. 8, this cap 24 is used but the securing member 25 is inverted and is rolled over as at 26 at its inner surface to bind the tufted material M in position in the cap.

Sometimes it may be desirable to provide a tufted material of a different shape which I can well do by this manner of formation and assembly, and in Fig. 9, I have illustrated a double pear-shaped blank 2'! on either side of a central opening 23 which may be bent down to form a rather flat but wide tuft with strands 29 extending also radially with reference to the opening 28, but not completely around in the form of a star, as shown in Fig. 3. A tuft of this shape may be secured position in the same manner as shown Fig. l, or in the manner shown in Figs. 6 or 8, and by its use the tuft ma5 lie flat against the shoe rather than having a tendency to roll therealong, such as a round tassel would have.

In Fig. 12, I have positioned on the star-shaped blank M a disk 39, cut out as at 3| to weaken it, and have riveted this disk to the flat blank by a rivet 32, in the same manner as illustrated in Fig. 7 or 8, and then by suitable operation I may bend this generally fiat formation into the cup shape 33 shown in Fig. 13, which will at the same time dispose the strands or stringers it downwardly into the tuft or tassel position illustrated. Thus I may assemble the parts all in flat formation and bend them into the tassel, or may shape them up. first and assemble them afterwards, as above described.

. The foregoing description is directed soleiy towards the construction illustrated, but I desire it to be understood that I reserve the privilege of resorting to all the mechanical changes to which the device is susceptible, the invention being defined and limited oniy by the terms of the appended claims.

I claim: 5

1. A tassel comprising a cap, a tuft of a plurality of strands, a securing member having an abutment to prevent it from passing through said tuft, said cap and member having engaging surfaces to secure them together.

2. A tassel comprising a cap, a tuft of a plurality of strands, a securing member having an abutment to prevent from passing through said tuft, said cap and member having engaging surfaces to secure them together, said cap, tuft and securing member having openings therethrough for the passage of a lace or the like.

3. A tassel comprising a cap, a tuft of a plurality of strands with a central seamless opening, a securing member in said opening having an abutment to prevent it passing therethrough and engaging said cap to secure the member and cap together.

4. A tassel comprising a cap, a tuft of a plurality of strands with a central seamless opening,

and the strands radially extending withreference to said opening, a securing member held in said cap by engagement with parts thereof and provided with an abutment between which and said cap said tufted material is bound.

6. A tassel comprising a caphaving central openings, a single thickness of material in said cap and having a seamless opening registering with the opening in said cap, a tubular member frictionally held in the opening in said cap and provided with an abutment between which and the inner surface of the cap said material is held.

7. A tassel comprising a cap having central openings, a single thickness of material in said cap and having a seamless opening registering with the opening in said cap, and strands extending from the opposite sides thereof, a tubular member frictionally held in the opening in said cap and provided with an abutment between which and the inner surface of the cap said material is held.

8. A tassel comprising an inverted cup-shaped cap, a star-shaped piece of material having radiating stringers drawn into said cap to dispose its stringers downwardly, and a securing member frictionally held in position and binding the stringermaterial in said cap. I

9. A tassel comprising an inverted cup-shaped cap, a star-shaped piece of material having a central opening therein and radiating stringers drawn into said cap to dispose its stringers downwardly, and a securing member extending through said opening and bound in position and holding the stringer material between it and the cap.

10. In a tassel, a cap having a neck extending therefrom, a securing member engaging said neck, and tufted material held between said cap and member.

11. In a tassel, a cap having a top wall with an opening therein and downwardly depending sides along its periphery, a securing member 14. In a tassel, a cap having a top wall with an opening therein and downwardly depending sides along its periphery, a securing member fastened in said opening and tufted material held between said cap and member, said tufted material having acentral opening through which said member extends and strands or stringers oppositely extending from the material about said opening.

15. The method of making a tassel, which comprises, cutting from a flat strip of leather or the like, a tuft member having a center portion with a hole therein for stringing on a cord article and spaced tuft forming strand portions projecting radially outwardly from said center portion, positioning atubular lower clamping means under neath the center portion of said tuft member and superimposing a cap member having a center case portion with a central hole for stringing on said cap member and a cylindrical wall project- 40 fastened in said opening and tufted material held ing downwardly from said center portion over the center portion of said tuft member and clamping said cap member against saidlower tubular clamping means to bend the radially extending tuft strands downwardly in tuft formation substantially normal to the base of the cap member and to secure said tuft member between ,said lower clamping means and cap member.

16. A tassel for use with shoe laces and like cord articles having a free end, comprising a tuft member of flexible material having a center portion having a hole therein for stringing on said cord, spaced integral tuft forming strand portions projecting radially outwardly from said center portion, and an individual outer clamping member engaging the outer surface and an individual inner clamping member engaging the in.- ner surface of said tuft member to permanently hold the tuft member between them and bend said radial tuft strand portions downwardly in tuft formation substantially normal to the center portion of said tuft member, each member having a central hole therein for receiving said cord article.

1'7. A tassel for use with shoe laces and like cord articles having a free end, comprising a tuft member of flexible material having a center portion having a hole therein for stringing on said cord article, spaced integral tuft forming strand portions projecting radially outwardly from said center portion, means to bend said tuft forming strand portions in tuft formation substantially normal to the center portion of said tuft member and assist in retaining the tassel in a desired position on said cord article, comprising an individual outer shell member and an individual member within said shell for holding the tuft material therein.

18. A tassel for use with shoe laces and like cord articles having a free end, comprising a tuft member of flexible material having a center portion having a hole therein for stringing on said cord article, and spaced integral tuft forming strand portions, projecting radially outwardly from said center portion, an individual cap member having a base and a cylindrical wall and superimposed over the center portion of said tuft forming member to cause the cylindrical wall thereof to bend said radial tuft strands downwardly in tuft formation substantially normal to the upper end of said cap member, said cap member having a central hole therein for also receiving said cord article, and means individual of and separable from said cap cooperating with said cap member to retain said tuft forming member in said cap.

19. A tassel comprising an individual inverted cup-shaped cap having a central opening therein, a tuft forming piece of material having a central portion with an opening therein and radiating stringers forced into said cap to dispose its stringers downwardly, and an individual securing member bound within said cap and holding the tuft forming material between it and the cap and having a hole therein, the holes in said cap, tuft material and securing member being in substantial registry.

20. A tassel for use with shoe laces and like cord-articles having a free end, comprising a tuft member of flexible material having a center portion having a hole therein for stringing on said cord article, and spaced integral tuft forming strand portions projecting radially outwardly from said center portion, an individual fastening member adapted to be superimposed over said tuft forming member to bend said radial tuft strands downwardly in tuft formation substantially normal to the upper end of said fastening member, said fastening member having a central hole therein for also receiving said cord article, and individual means adapted to cooperate with said fastening member to retain said tuft forming member in tuft formation.

21. A tassel for use with shoe laces and like cord articles having a free end, comprising a tuft member of flexible material having a center portion having a hole therein for stringing on said cord, spaced integral tuft forming strand portions projecting radially outwardly from said center portion, and an individual outer clamping member engaging the outer surface and an individual inner clamping member engaging the inner surface of said tuft member to permanently hold the tuft member between them and bend said radial tuft strand portions downwardly in tuft formation, each member having a central hole therein for receiving said cord article, and said outer member providing an unslit wall seamless along its lower edge.

ERNEST E. WELLER. 

